Programs: Center-Sponsored
In addition to internships, Haverford House and the myriad activities supported by its funds, the Center for Peace and Global Citizenship itself organizes a diverse menu of programs.
These Center-sponsored programs take various forms: a semester-long seminar; a weekly discussion of current events; or a day-long symposium on a specific topic. Regardless of the format, all are designed to expose members of the Haverford community to the key global issues of the day and to advance the College’s commitment to peace and social justice.
Below is a sampling of recent Center-sponsored programs:
Nobel Peace Laureate Summit
CPGC sent four students as delegates to the 12th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Chicago in April, 2012. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity provided attendees the chance to network with other college students interested in world peace, plus hear such luminaries as Mikhail Gorbachev, Jimmy Carter and the Dalai Lama.
Kim Elliman, CEO of Open Space Institute
The Open Space Institute is a nonprofit organization that facilitates the conservation of nature in New York State, southern New England, the mid-Atlantic states, and southern Appalachia. Mr. Elliman spoke about the work of OSI and possibilities for summer internships.
High Rocks Fall Break Trip
CPGC and 8th Dimension host a yearly service-learning trip to High Rocks in West Virginia. Participants learn about social, political and economic issues impacting local communities while experiencing Appalachia.
Davis Projects for Peace
The Center serves as the College’s coordinating agency for this national fellowship program, which provides qualified students with grants of $10,000 to pursue peace-related projects. This year Mohamed Abdalkadar’s '14 proposal to start a program for educational initiatives in his home country of Egypt was selected for this prestigious prize.
2012 Migration Field Study Tour
The Center again offered a winter break study tour to Mexico focused on migration issues. This program, mounted with local partner Casa de los Amigos, exposed students to the nuances of migration through briefings by non-profit organizations and daily seminar-type discussions.
Past programs include:
Human Rights, Right Here
The Center hosted a conference aimed at giving a human rights framework to domestic poverty, hunger, migrant rights, housing, the death penalty and other issues of economic justice. Organized by Haverford House Fellow Cara Curtis ’10, the conference grew out of her work with the Drexel University GROW Project’s “Witnesses to Hunger” program.
Sustainable Business Seminar
The Center collaborated with the Sustainable Business Network (SBN) of Greater Philadelphia to explore the connection between sustainability and commercial activity. In addition to readings and discussions led by SBN Executive Director Leanne Kruger-Braneky, students met with managers of local businesses to learn about the practical application of sustainability principles.
Patriot Acts: Narratives of Post-9/11 Injustice
The Center hosted author and a civil rights lawyer, Alia Malek. After 9/11, in addition to her regular duties at the Department of Justice focused on Americans' civil rights in educational contexts, Alia's responsibilities came to also include reaching out to and serving the needs of vulnerable groups targeted by backlash discrimination and hate crimes. Alia discussed her new book which tells the stories of men and women who have been needlessly swept up in the War on Terror.
Legislative Advocacy Training
Haverford’s inaugural Friend-in-Residence, Joe Volk, spent over 20 years as head of the Quaker lobby on Capitol Hill. With support from CPGC and Quaker Affairs Office staff, Volk conducted a day-long workshop on legislative advocacy. As part of the workshop, students met with congressional delegations in Washington, DC, to lobby on behalf of social justice issues.
Perpetual Peace Project
The Center collaborated with the John B. Hurford ’60 Humanities Center and the Slought Foundation to bring to Haverford’s campus an interactive project designed to spark intellectual dialogue around notions of peace. The project drew its name from Immanuel Kant’s essay, Toward Perpetual Peace, which inspired on-campus discussions by students from selected courses.
Solidarity Economy Tour
In conjunction with Political Science Professor Craig Borowiak’s research, the Center organized a tour of solidarity economy enterprises in the Philadelphia area. The tour included site visits to a food cooperative, an urban farm established in a traditional food “desert,” and a discussion of alternative currencies.
Reporting from Haiti
The Center hosted a talk on campus by Allyn Gaestel '09 who shared her insights on relief and recovery efforts in Haiti. She cited her past CPGC internships as preparation for her current work as an independent reporter.
Inside/Out Seminar
This yearly for-credit seminar provides both Haverford and incarcerated students with an opportunity to engage issues of crime, punishment and social justice. Its objectives are to provide a basic overview of criminal justice theory and practice; explore alternative practices; conduct critical analysis of criminal justice and social injustice; and to create a safe space in which inside and outside students can explore their personal perspectives together.